CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 45

CYCLING NOTES.

BY DEMON.

The narrow strip of asphalt on the road in Cumberland street has been a boon to many cyclists, but is now somewhat out of order ; yet cyclists proceeding south or north inyarii'ably make a bee line for it as soon as possible, regardless of the rule of the road. One clay last week I saw a collision between two eye- ] lifts who were using the track, and heard as a consequence some sultry language. The collision was brought about by the neglect of the rule of the road, a rule that cyclists cannot be too careful of observing. It is, of course very pleasant for those who are hurrying northwards at lunch time to take the asphalt strip mentioned, but if a collision takes place they are in the wrong, and must look to bearing the consequences. At Wanganui on the 13th inst. William Miller, late of Ohingaiti, was charged with obtaining a sum of £4- 18s in money from Martis, restaurant keeper, by means of false pretences — to wit, by falsely pretending that an imitation £5 note issued by the New Zealand Wheelman was a good and valid bank note for the sum of £5. The note in question was produced in payment of breakfast for accused and a Maori woman who was with him. When arrested by Detective Bishop accused denied cashing the note, but afterwards admitted the offence, slating that he had received the note from the totalisator. The accused, who made a long, rambling statement, was committed for trial. Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., remarked that the publication of such imitations should not be allowed. A few weeks ago two young men were sentenced to three months' imprisonment at Palmerston North for attempting to pass a uinilar note. Amongst a batch of six cyclists charged at the Clyde court last week with riding on the footpath was a medical gentleman, who pleaded the privilege to ride where he liked. Mr M'Carthy. S.M., however, refused to see it in that light, and the medico was fined along v ith the rest. | A Westport telegram states that at the Cycling Club's sports there was a good attendance. The Wheel Race was won by Mill (225 yds) in smin 11 3-ssec, Sylron being second. M'Cabe (Nelson) won the Mile Handicap, Five-mile Champion, Three-mile Handicap, and came third in the Wheel Race. Evison (Kumara) won the Half-mile_Handicap, and came third in the Three-mile Handicap.

A meeting of the Dunedin and Suburban Cycling Tracks Committee was held on Friday, with Mr Mondy (president) in the chair. A letter was received from the town clerk, Dunedin, relative to horses being on the track at night, stating that the matter would be inquired into. The town clerk, St. Kilda, forwarded an estimate of the cost of making a road at the back of the racecourse. The secretary was instructed to write to the town clerk, Caversham, thanking him for prompt attention to matters relating to the track. Mr Hancock was deputed to confer with Mr Gore re the proposed making of a road behind the racecourse. The appointment of another secretary in room of Miss Statham was left over till next meeting. The secretary reported that the contractor had finished the work of tarring and sanding the track fiom Anderson's Bay corner to the railway crossing, and the account was passed for payment. Subscriptions were received from Mrs Hodge and Miss Hardy. Touching the matter of the foregoing paragraph a friend of mino recently handed to me a £1 note, and from an ordinary glance such as one would give to a note handed over, it appeared genuine. My friend had been taken in over the note, it having been given to him ac. part change for a genuine £5 note. Persons are warned regarding these spurious notes, and it seems a pity that such a thing as issuing them is permitted

Harold Tennant, a letter carrier in the New Plymouth Post Office, while cycling on Monday afternoon, 12th in^L, came into collision with a spring trap through the horse shying. He received a severe blow from the shaft, and was thrown heavily on the foolpath. Internal complications arose, and the poor young fellow gradually sank and died. The Australian half-mile record of lmin 3 l-ssec, made by Don Walker, was broken on Saturday, 3rd inst., by Bil 1 Martin, who rode the distance in lmin 2sec.

A 'novelty was provided at the unregistered cycle meeting at Richmond, Victoria, on a recent .Saturday which greatly interested the spectators. In the principal event of the clay — the Wheel Race — E. B. Gerster, a rider \vho came to Victoria from Scrath Africa some three years ago, was a competitor. In his heat a man named Zelman was a warm favouriie. Zelman had a good passage on Gerster's wheel, and appeared to be winning easily, when Gerster suddenly shot out and won by a good wheel. When the race was over a bystander rushed into the ring and attacked the winner. After a little preliminary sparring, Gerster landed his aggressor a beauty on the jaw, settling all arguments. This rough and ready method of deciding a dispute called forth the loudest acclamation of the spectators.

The English officers now held captive upon Pretoria racecourse 'are being by no means badly treated by their captors. They are afforded a fair amount of freedom, and a couple of old machines having been discovered in the recesses of the weighing-in room, a spin round the area surrounded by the fence is one of the stock amusements of the day. Polo, cricket, and football pall after a time, but various contests are got up day by day in which the cycles play a part. Even the Boer guards condescend to unbend, and show considerable interest in the pedalling propensities of their English "guests." Potato races and sprinter v. cyclist are the favourite events upon the programme.

The ordinary composition, cork, or felt handle grips upon a machine are calculated to cause cold hands and fingers during winter riding, either by inducing the heat of the extremities to run out or by the induction of the cold from the atmosphere. If, however, a cou23le of sqiuues of chamois leather are secured, an easy and comfortable grip may be readily made by anyone capable of wielding the needle. These squares should be so sewn up that they form a couple of circular cases, slightly larger than the grips themselves. Slip them on, and pack the vacant space loosely with cotton wool. Heat will be then retained by the hands of the rider, while a more comfortable "hold" will also be provided. On Monday evening the officers and employees of the Maspey-Havris Company gave a splendid send-off to two of their number — Messrs D. Heenan and Smith — who are proceeding to South Africa a=; members of the Fourth Contingent. Particulars of the function will be found elsewhere in this issue.

A writer in London Field says that even among bicyclists of some experience a s;ood deal of misconception prevails as to the influence of gearing upon pace. Because racing men and those whose ambition it is to ride fast on the road customarily u«e hipher gears than the ordinary run of road riders, many believe that the superiority in speed of these men is largely attributable to their employment of higher gears, and they are consequently induced to raise their own gears, only to find that, more often than not, their average pace is reduced rather than increased. Gearing and leverage are sj-nonyraous terms. Setting aside external influences, the power required to drive the bicycle at a given speed depends upon the weight and build of the machine and its tyres and the weight of the rider. If the latter cannot bring that amount of power to bear upon the pedals he must be content to go at a slower pace. To produce the best, results the leverage he employs, as represented by the length of his cranks and the gearing of the machine, should be in proportion to the work that has to be done, and a disproportionate reduction of the leverage will decrease rather than increase bis speed. Only by increasing Ills muscular strength by diligent practice can he hope to command that additional power which will enable him to manipulate to advantage a higher gear. High gears have, in reality, but little to do with pace ; it is the physical condition of the rider that tells, and the gearing must in every case be adapted to the particular requirements of the individual.

Some men may be suited with a high gear, whilst others find they can cover the ground more easily with comparatively low gears, so that, in order to produce the best results, it is incumbent upon each bicyclist to ascertain for himself what gear suits him best. This is a somewhat difficult matter, and takes a good deal of experimenting, for, unless all the conditions are equal, he will be led to form erroneous conclu&ions. For instance, he will, perhaps, attribute an apparent ease, of running to a higher or lower gear, as the case may be ; whereas it may be due to his riding a lighter machine, to his being in better condition, or to external influences. After all, the question of gearing is nothing more than an adaptation of means to an end, and the advantage belongs to the man who is most skilful in performing this operation by taking into consideration every' factor entering into the calculation, and striking an accurate balance. Every rider has considerable power to adapt himself to different conditions, especially if circumstances compel him to persevere in a new course, and it is necessary for him to make large allowances for what he is accustomed to, for confirmed habits, whether good or bad, are hard to break. A difference of, say, lOin in gear will be very marked at first, and will for a while prejudioiallv affect the speed; but when once the bicyclist has become accustomed to even so great a change as this he will generally admit that he notices little or no difference in his pace. The reason for this is that what is gained in speed is lost in power, and that, although the man with the high gear will travel faster when wind, gradient, and other conditions favour him, this advantage will be counterbalanced, and the low-geared man will score, in adverse circumstances. All this points to the necessity of avoiding extremes in gears, as in most other things," and indicates the advantages of a moderate gegr, according to individual requirements, as that from which the best results will "be obtained.

— Far away on a country road, on a dark, cold night, and with rain falling steadily, a puncture is a fearsome thing" to wrestle with. Fingers refuse to do their work, and it is no uncommon thing for the flint, or whatever it may have been that caused the damage, to refuse to discover its location when searched for. Another burst generally develops when an attempt is made to remount, and a weary trudge home through the mud follows. If, however, the cyclist has a sheet of notepaper upon him he can guard against a second mishap easily. Fold it three or four times across and lay the sheet over the patch. It then takes all the rubbing by the foreign body oft the rubber, and a more detailed examination can be made when home is reached. This nlan has never been known to fail tinder trial.

When one comes to think the matter over, what a glorious chance the wheel mounted riflemen will have in the cominpr advance on Pretoria. From the south and west the routes to this city pass over fiat and easy country. Kopjes are few and far between, and *luits are almost unknown. Unlike cavalry the mobility of a wheelmounted force is not affected by the dreaded horse sickness now s-o prevalent in South Africa. "Pink eye" has no terrors for the man who possesses a trusty machine. Puncture, it is true, is a snake in the grass, but that is readily curable, while the cycle itself needs but little care, no fodder, no tethering, no cover, and in time of action no holding. The smallest fold in the ground, a stone, will give it cover: and nothing will stampede it. A fourth of a horse-mounted force is required to hold the horses under cover when the men go into action : with a cycle-mounted force every rifle goes into the firing line. If cyclists can ride at even six miles an hour over the country over which the main advance will be made. "Lord Roberts should have not hundreds but thousands with him.

Notwithstanding the lukewarm interest which is taken in cycling at the present day. the Paris Municipal Council have voted £6000 for the reconstruction of the track on which the bis laces will be held during the progress of the forthcoming exhibition. Cyclist messengers have, it is stated, been very successful in eluding the Boei blockade of Ma f eking. One of them who recently succeeded in getting through the cordon of Doppers says that he rode altogether about 600 miles, and had several hairbreadth escapes of being captured. In dealing with some of ihe advantages of motor vehicles for municipal \ise the Contract Journal says: — One of the greatest problems in a large city is that of street cleansing, and to this may be added another in street repair. Unless the use of motor vans bring in greater troubles, it is certain that their general adoption would simplify both these great problems. Taking the latter first, they would substitute a rolling load in place of a scraping and pounding action : it may be that the ordinary wheel base will, under the altered conditions, have to be increased, but there can be no doubt about the less wear and tear of the street surfaces. With regard to street cleansing, the substitution would effect what might be termed a revolution.

strikes a stone, and looks upon it as a calamity if he is forced by some pig-headed carter to leave the highway and ride on the greentiward at the side, has little idea of the possibilities of a cycle in the hands of experienced yiders with plenty of nerve. ' ' At the Crystal Palace there is an eye-opener in this line, consisting of a troupe of four English riders who almost make one believe that it is possible to ride up the iide of a hotise if you only go at it with dafh enough, or dodge a Mauser bullet if yovi only keep a cool look-out for it. ', ' The performance consists of two acts, the first of which I will now convey to my reader's jnind.

J3ICTCLE POLO EXTBAOBDIKABY.

The whistle soiinds, and off rush a couple 'of cyclists from either end of the arena towards the ball; we Jiold our breath as we watch them httrl themselves at each other, and experience an extra phiver as we remember that their machines are without brakes. One rider has the advantage in pace, and gets to the ball first, but only a few feet before his fiying opponent is also there; no, there is not a collision, the slower rider has swerved in the nick of time, and away flies the ball towards the goal, closely pursued by the wheelmen. Then we witness a complete cycle race down the arena, the winning post being the goal Iceeper, who has already got the ball in tow. Another shock, a smash seems inevitable ; but, no, back pedal all, and with extraordinary rapidity the wheelmen have halted in the vicinity of the ball. Away it goes, this time towards the other end, but before the cyclist who has struck the ball has time to got under way, his opponent has deliberately ridden across his fror.t wheel and '"cut his water,"' so to speak; another marvellous turn to avoid accident and away they rush after the ball. A second's manaravring and one of the wheelmen prepares to strike, but too late ; his opponent has got to windward and is quietly •balancing himself directly in the road of flight of the ball. There is another sharp turn, and the waiting cyclist has obtained command of the ball and shoots for a goal; al though •be is moving all the time, his aim is true, and a goal it- scored to the accompaniment of the referee : s whittle, but not before his opponent, making a miscalculation, has connoned the scorer, and the machine flying, but not the riders, — like the Spanish bull-fighters, they want a lot of throwing. Their quick eyes and nimble feet have left them standing over their oA^erset eyeles. Not always are they so lucky as this, and, ■as the "jug that goes too often io the well is at last broken," so after a hundred tight ■corners and skilful escapes the riders ccca•Eionally get hurt, and such inj urie-s as a brolcen ■arm, rupture, feet torn with a pedal, and dislocation of the shoulder have fallen to the lot ■©f these plucky wheelmen. Of cuts and bruises they seem to make no account, and the dash and go they put into the game shows their confidence in their ready wit in any emergency.

A DANGEROUS BACE,

The track, which is unique in all details, is the smallest in the world, being only 40ft in diameter, and enclosed in an ordinary circus ring 1 . The angle is oboist 40deg, which is startling to look upon, much less to ride rourid.

The riding surface is only 4ft ] Oin, there are 44 laps to the mile, and tjvo white lines encircle the surface to guide the riders.

A. small portion of tlie track having been ■opened, the riders enter, dropping about 3ft •into the centre of the ring. Now all is ready for the ride.

The cyclists form up, one on each side of the track, starting from tbe middle and riding Tip on to the track itself. They proceed at a slow pace, and we begin to get disappointed ; 'but all of a sudden they start the pursuit, faster ! faster ! they whirl, until they begin to assume a fiy-oii-the-ceiling-like look. You gasp, you stand tip in your seat the better to see the smash which you feel certain must oome. Faster still ! and now one is catching 'the other. Goodness !he is going lo lun into Xhe back of the leading man ; but, no, with handlebars overlapping and pedals thrashing round within inches of each other, they ride, each trjdng to get the lead. There is only just room to pass on the track, and one looks for one or other to sit up, but they seem quite at home, and., nearly head downwards, with flying legs and gasping breath, they whirl round; then the whistle, and the winner h declared, he having successfully passed his rival. You breathe a sigh of relief, admire the riders' nerve, remarking to yourself, or the fireman or attendants, or anyone you can unburden yourself to, "That's hot stuff, indeed !" you seek a little refreshment to steady your nerves a little, and think how long it will be before these cyclists arc swept up in the domestic dustpan.

Nor is it less dangerous than it looks, and the riders have several times flown off at a tangent and landed amongst the audience, while men and machines have bean piled up in a heap in the centre more thnn once.

Both performancss are good from a public point of view. The troupe iiave been all over Germany, France, Russia, Denmark, and. in fact, everywhere. The riders are cleanshaven, smart looking lads fit for anything ; and, dangerous as their performance is, they have yet a greater startler still to come along when required.

The baggage and equipment alone meau something; 24 macliines, besides repair shop, have to be carried every time the troupe moves. — The Cycle.